Cool and refreshing, mint is the herb of summer. For many of us, the heat is more bearable if we can enjoy a sprig of mint in our iced tea or muddle fresh leaves into a mojito.
The variety of fresh mint is astounding. Chocolate, peppermint, banana, pineapple, orange and spearmint are just a few of the choices grown by Fran Forsyth of Fran’s Herbs. She takes her herbs to the Rockmart Farmers Market on Thursday evenings and beginning June 22 to the Cedartown Farmers Market on Friday mornings. She also provides herbs to the Farmers Fresh CSA in Carrollton.
“Most of my customers are familiar with mint. It’s the one herb most people recognize,” said Forsyth. At the markets, she offers both cut mint and potted plants. By offering cut mint, her customers can take home a little bit of several different kinds. “People are very curious and they love the fragrances of all the different varieties. I think chocolate mint is everybody’s favorite,” she said.
Forsyth likes the chocolate mint in her coffee and sips on peppermint tea if she finds herself with an upset stomach. Peppermint tea can also be useful to lessen the effects of a headache.
Another favorite use is making simple infused waters, steeping mint in pitchers of water. Or making mint-flavored ice cubes by steeping a tablespoon of mint in cup of boiled water, letting the water cool and then pouring the water into ice cube trays. “You can drop that ice into a glass of water or whatever drink you’re having and you have a wonderful addition to your drink with very little effort,” she said.
Culinarily, Forsyth likes to put a little mint into her potato salad. “I’m not a pickle relish person, and potato salad can be a little bland. Adding chopped herbs spices things up,” said Forsyth.
Mint is easy to grow at home, but it can be aggressive in the garden. Forsyth prefers to grow her mint in the ground, but since many people grow mint in containers in order to keep it under control, she recommends growing it in a big container and harvesting often. “Keep harvesting your mint at ground level so it will force new growth and keep it from beginning to flower,” she said.
At local farmers markets
Cooking demos:
6 p.m. Thursday, June 14. Chef Seth Freedman of Forage and Flame. East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market, Atlanta. www.farmeav.com
9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 16. Chef Shaun Doty of Yeah Burger. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, June 16. Chef Zeb Stevenson of Livingston. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
11 a.m. Saturday, June 16. Chef from STK . Green Market at Piedmont Park, Atlanta. www.piedmontpark.org
11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 17. Chef Jordan Wakefield of Meehan’s Public House. Grant Park Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.grantparkmarket.org
For sale
Vegetables and fruit: arugula, Asian greens, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, cucumbers, dandelion, eggplant, escarole, fennel, garlic, green beans, green onions, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, lambs quarters, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, pea tendrils, peaches, peppers, potatoes, radicchio, radishes, snow peas, sorrel, spinach, squash blossoms, strawberries, sugar snap peas, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini
From local reports
Chicken-Mint Rice Noodle Salad
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6
Simple, fresh, quick and cool, this is a great summer dinner. You can buy fresh grapefruit juice in the refrigerated juice section of your grocery store. For the chicken, use shredded rotisserie chicken, poached chicken breasts or leftover grilled chicken.
1 (14-ounce) package stir-fry rice noodles
1 cup pink grapefruit juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fish sauce, more if needed
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 bunch mint, roughly chopped, divided
1/2 pound cooked chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 small cabbage, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add noodles and remove from heat. Allow noodles to steep 10 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally. When done, drain noodles and rinse with cold water.
While noodles are soaking, in a large bowl, make dressing by combining grapefruit juice, garlic, fish sauce and sugar. Stir in half the chopped mint. Taste for seasoning. When noodles are ready, add to dressing and toss. Set aside. Can be done up to 30 minutes in advance.
When ready to serve, use tongs to remove noodles to serving platter, leaving remaining dressing in bowl. Add chicken, cabbage, green onions, radishes and remaining mint and toss with remaining dressing. Arrange on top of rice noodles and serve immediately.
Per serving: 339 calories (percent of calories from fat, 6),10 grams protein, 69 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 23 milligrams cholesterol, 41 milligrams sodium.
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